8 year old with anxiety

HELP!!! My 8 (almost 9) year old has been having some anxiety issues and I'm not sure what to do. This has been going on for about a year or so. She loves school and sports and has a lot of friends. She's a teachers pet and a social butterfly getting along with everyone. Her grades are also very good.

She will get herself all worked up over little things (letting balloons go, etc). She gets frequent (2-3 times a week) stomachaches and feels sick. She cries when I make her go to school occasionally. She saw me at school (I was helping another dd's class) and she freaked out crying, saying she was sick and needed to come home.

She gets really upset when I'm going to leave her (at the bus, at school, etc) but it doesn't happen all the time, just occasionally. I try talking calmly to her and get her to take deep breaths but she still gets all worked up.

Our pediatrician said that it's normal for some kids to act this way and they usually outgrow it. She also said that if she continues to have it, that maybe she needs to talk to a counselor. I'm just trying to figure out if there's anything else I can do before we go that route.

Does anyone have any advice???

The following user gives a hug of support to Forensicmom:
clemphotography (12-16-2011)

Hi
I saw your message and it struck home for me since I had my first anxiety attack at the age of 7. I am now 35 and still have anxiety, I really wish my anxiety would have been addressed as a child.
Now there are great psychologists who deal with children if you are concerned. My friend takes her daughter to one and she is 9 years old. Her daughter suffers from similar anxiety, she is just nervous over everythinng the poor girl. So my friend told her daughter that this was someone she could tell all her fears to weather it be about school or her parents and that this person (being the therapist) would not tell anyone and could tell you how to handle things you may be scared of.
Anyway I think that is a good idea to start, if you have insurance it should be covered, worth a try if you ask me.

Unfortunately I don't have any miracle cure for your daughter but I wish I did! All I can say is please, please don't hesitate to get help for your daughter. I am 18 and have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. My parents and pediatrician always pushed it off as "normal" and that I would "grow out of it." Needless to say, I didn't and I am now having a really difficult time dealing with it and accepting that it is a part of me.

I don't know why type of help your are considering for your daughter but when my parents finally decided to take me seriously I saw a psychologist who I felt was absolutely no help. She was convinced there was some aspect of my life I wasn't telling her about, which there wasn't. However, once I started seeing a naturopathic doctor, I have been feeling better.

I think your daughter is off to a great start, just having a mother who already understands there is a problem and is not afraid to address it.